Palo Duro Ground Beef Recall Due to Possible E. coli Contamination
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Palo Duro Meat of Amarillo is recalling 40,000 pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).
The products subject to recall include:
- 40-lb boxes containing four 10-lb chubs of fine ground beef.
Each case bears “Est. 7282” inside the USDA mark of inspection and a production code of 19110.
The frozen product was produced on Sept. 9, 2011, and shipped to two Georgia warehouses for further distribution including six school districts in Georgia associated with the National School Lunch Program. Most of the beef was not distributed and remains at the the warehouses. FSIS is not aware of any product having been served as part of school lunches in the districts. No illnesses have been reported.
Palo Duro discovered the problem when by lab tests confirmed a positive result for E. coli O157:H7 on September 22 and issued the recall the next day. E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause bloody diarrhea, dehydration, and in the most severe cases, kidney failure. Those most at risk of infection are the very young, seniors and people with weakened immune systems.
Ground beef must be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees to kill harmful bacteria. The only way to confirm that ground beef has been cooked properly is to use a food thermometer.
Source: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/Recall_075_2011_Release/index.asp
